Fried Flour Cakes 油酥烧饼

The Youxiang(油酥烧饼yóusū shāobǐng) is a traditional snack(a snack is something such as a chocolate bar that you eat between meals) of China’s Hui minority. To make youxiang, you need to make dough mixed with brown sugar water, and then deep fry the dough. When it’s done, the cake is Bordeaux in color and sweet and soft in taste.

It’s fairly easy to make youxiang. You only need to make round cakes out of the fermented dough before frying. But before you start, you must wash your hands and burn incense to show devoutness, because of all Hui ethnic pastry snacks, fried youxiang is regarded as a sacred and delicious food granted to Muslims by Allah. It is only prepared for weddings and funerals or during the New Year holiday or other festivals as a gift for one another, symbolizing greetings and commemoration.

Hui Muslims believing in Islam traditionally gather in mosques for services in every Ramadan and all families exchange home-made youxiang as a sign of mutual respect to deepen friendship.